Bruce Jay Friedman

book, The Great Gatsby, is Jay Gatsby. It is implied that he is great, but does Jay Gatsby really deserve the title, The Great Gatsby? Possibly so, but it could be argued that perhaps a more accurate title might be The Deceptive Gatsby. Although Gatsby’s life may seem picturesque filled with diamonds, pearls, beautiful women and champagne, there is a rather grim side to the story that must be examined. There is an abundance of evidence throughout the book as to why Jay Gatsby is not so great.…

whiskey. Facing well-organized opposition from Jefferson and Madison, Hamilton mobilized a nationwide network of friends of the government, especially bankers and businessmen. It became the Federalist Party. A major issue splitting the parties was the Jay Treaty, largely designed by Hamilton in 1794. It established friendly economic relations with Britain to the chagrin of France and the supporters of the French Revolution. Hamilton played a central role in the Federalist party, which dominated…

The audience at the graduation hall explodes with hollers, cheers, and whistles for the new graduates. Many of these people didn’t think they would get accepted into a university, let alone graduate from college. Their desires would have never been fulfilled if it hadn’t been for the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie. In some views, Andrew Carnegie was a cruel, selfish, millionaire who took advantage of people. Others, however, believe he was an excellent leader with many virtues. These virtues…

Donald Trump shows many characteristics that resemble a narcissist. But is he a narcissist or someone with a narcissistic personality disorder? A narcissist is someone who is in love with him or her self. A person with narcissistic personality disorder is “conceited, boastful, or pretentious.” They view other people as inferior to them and treat them accordingly. Those with narcissistic personality disorder desire the best of the best, for instance; an extravagant vehicle or a prestigious home…

Gatsby and Lennie’s dreams both remain generally the same through diverse social classes they encounter during the novels. In Lennie’s social class it is hard for him to obtain his dream with his poverty because only the strongest survive on the ranch. In Of Mice and Men Crooks says “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one…

certain characters who are not always led by their moral compasses, and the extent to which these characters have evolved to share the shifting views of the time. Various characters throughout the novel, including Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby, use their wealth and social statuses as shields to protect themselves from taking responsibility for their actions. Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, is a…

“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction” (Erich Fromm). In The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man written by Dashiell Hammett, Hammett displays the high increase of criminal activity that takes place during the prohibition era in the United States. In Hammett’s novels, the characters’ monetary greed leads to negative consequences. As a result of their monetary greed, the characters face death, in-humanity, and…

century. Fitzgerald names that period “the Jazz Age”. The American Dream is loaded with more connotation of pursuing money. Dream is illusory and inevitable. Its ending is harsh disillusion. At the same time, disillusion is the beginning of dream. Jay Gatsby, the hero of the novel The Great Gatsby, is not only a representative of the ideal and the reality…

Some may say that “history is always bound to repeat itself” while others may argue what “past is past”. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby, Gatsby has tricked himself into thinking that he could repeat the past and regain the primordial satisfaction of being in love with Daisy, unaware of how his circumstances made his dream an impossible goal. Gatsby was unable to reach a happy ending because he could not let go of what was long gone. By chasing his dream of Daisy and trying to…

The Unknown Citizen by W. H. Auden describes a man that statistically, on paper, was a “saint” as stated in the poem. He had no criminal offenses on his record, and those who vaguely knew him could characterize his behavior as normal, citing him to be a model citizen. The overall consensus of the reports in the poem point to this man being completely normal, functional, and happy. But, these are only opinions of those who observed his behavior, and essentially the way he chose to spend his money…